You don’t have to take an AP Calculus class to understand that 204 is way larger than 2. So why would Israel “trade” 204 terrorists (199 dead, 5 alive) including living murder mastermind Samir Kuntar for 2 (dead) captured soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev?

By straight numbers, Israel is giving 102 times as many people as Hezbollah. Hezbollah is also getting 5 living terrorists that could contribute to many more murders in the future. When looking at the numbers, it seems like this “trade” is WAY lopsided.

But this equation is not 2=204. It is 2+morality=204. Israel is a country that prides itself on treating their soldiers and the parents of soldiers the right way. These soldiers fought for THEIR country and deserve a proper burial. The parents of the soldiers deserve to know the status of their children.

Israel just completed a mitzvah commanded in the Torah, pidyon shvuim (return of captives). Although it is not a country solely run by the religious book, the government takes religion into consideration every day. The exchange that happened over the summer was not a necessarily a “trade” but rather a “swap.” The addition of morality and mitzvot can not be overlooked.